Are You of Value to Me? A Partner Selection Framework for Software Ecosystem Orchestrators

Abstract

SECO orchestrators have insufficient insight and lack academic guidance in the partner selection criteria and methods available to aid them in their partner selection process. Therefore, SECO orchestrators fail to vet, select, and engage suitable partners for their SECO, which in turn, leads to not fully reaching the potential of their SECO, both for the SECO orchestrator and their customers. This research presents the SECO partner selection framework. It contributes (1) an overview of partner selection criteria validated and ranked by domain experts, (2) six partner selection methods applied and evaluated by leading software vendors in the Dutch market, (3) a method to develop and evaluate partner selection methods, and (4) the SECO partner selection framework containing the relevant activities, sub-activities and concepts to aid a SECO orchestrator in their partner selection process. With the partner selection framework, SECO orchestrators can design, update, and evaluate their SECO partner selection process.